Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1887-08-05
Strong Plea For Prohibition.
SON DANIS--THE FEELING IN
TEXAS.

Fort WORTH, TEX, Aug. 2.-Fol-
lowing is Senator Reagan's open let
ter in reply to the one from jefferson
Davis opposing the adoption of the
prohibition amendment, which is to
be voted upon next Thursday in this
State:
Hon. Jefferson Daris, Beauvoir,
Mss:
My DEAR SIR AND FRIEND:I write
not to complain but to express my
surprise and sorrow on account of the
letter you wrote to our good friend,
Gov. Lubbock. in opposition to the
adoption of the proposed amendment
to our State Constitution, to prohibit
the manufacture, sale and exchange
of intoxicating liquors, except for me-
chanical, medical, scientific and ex-
perimental purposes. Texas has
never been so profoundly stirred up
on question before within my men,
ory. The State Democratic Conven-
tion of last year held the question of
opposition to the liquor traffic to be
non-partisan. Our Democratic Gov
ernor recommended to the last Legis-
lature the submission of the question
to vote of the people. Our Legis-
latnre, which on joint ballot had but
five Republicans in it, did submit the
question to the people for decision on
the 4th of August. by vote Of more
irA1 nf IL
was submitted as a non-partisan ques-
tion, to be voted on when no other
question was before the people.
This measure is, | understand,
sustained by majority of the ablest,
best and most trusted Democrats of
the State, such as Senator Maxey,
Mr.. Culberson, Mr.. Lanham, and
Judge Hare Democratic members
elect to Congress, and Col. Miller, a
Democratic member of the last Con-
gress. 1t is sustained by two-thirds
of the newspapers of Texas, by not
less than nineteen-twentieths of the
800 or 400 preachers of Texas, by
probably ninety-nine in every 100 OF
thewomen of the State, and it will, in
my opinion, be voted for by more
than 100000 white Democrats of this
State. l have been in three counties,
in large assemblies, since your letter
was published, and from what / have
seen and heard, | am sure that tens OF
thousands of your trusted
and bes. friends are grieved
and panied by your letter.
We believe we could carry the State
against the combined influence and
efforts of the manufacturers of whisky
and beer, the liquor Dealers associa.
tions of St. Louis, Chicago, Louis
vile, Cincinnati, New York, Phila-
delphia, and elsewhere, and against
the use of tn, vast sums of money
they have sent to Texas to employ
and pay speakers, suborn the news
papers and corrupt the ballot and de.
ba uch our people.
We believe we could carry it
against the saloonkeepers, profession.
al politicians and number of good
men like our friend Governor Lub-
book, but the power of your great
name is now being paraded against
the Prohibitionists, not only by some
good men who, like yourself, think
prohibition more dangerous than the
liquor traffic and drunkenness, with
all its evils, poverty, wretchedness,
shame, sorrow and crime which fol-
low in their train. Your letter is be-
ing read and applauded by every
saloonkeeper and dramdrinker in
Texas to-day, and it will cost cause
which many of Us deem of the great
est Importance many thousands OF
votes, and we fear may defeat the
amendment, and give the endorse
ment of the people to to the liquor
traffic with the griefs, sorrows and
crimes that go with it. You object
to this amendment because the world
is governed to much. Our laws pro-
hibit the carrying of pistols, bowie.
knives and brass knuckles, and pun
ish those carrying them by fne and
Imprisonment. Our laws prohibit
and provide for the punishment OF
many other things which are ipjuri-
Gus to society, and which restrain the
personal liberty of the citizen.
You admit that the incorporate
use of liquors is the "root" of many
social disorders. No one can truth.
fully deny the banelul effects of the
liquor traffic. But you think, with
m any others, that to prohibit it will
be an abridgement of personal liberty
This is admitted. Personal liberty
was abridged when God forbade our
progcnitors to eat Of the fruit Of the
tree of life The decalogue in the
Holy Scriptures abridges personal lib
erty in nearly every commandment.
The laws of the United States and
Of our several States are, in IL large
measure, made of provisions for the
abridgcment of personal liberty.
They DO this in order to give protec-
tion to the persons. the regulations.
the lives, the property Of the people;
to give peace and prosperity to soci-
ETY.. They do it because government
and civil society can not exist with
out the abridgement of personal liber-
ty. They do it for the good of soci-
ETY. and the protection Of its members
Is the liquor traffic an evil? Few
have the hardihood to deny that it is.
Most of the prohibition orators Of the
State admit that it is. Then why
not prohibit it except for the useful
purposes mentioned in the amend
ment, as we prohibit gambling and
the carrying of weapons? You just
refer to the drunkards as "degraded
criminals Why not do all we law
fully may to prevent drunkenness
and the crimes it gives rise to? The
great charter Of Englisb liberty, as
portions of the Constitution of the
United States which operates as a
bill Of rights, the bills of right of the
several States Of the Union, may be
analyzed in all their aspects, and it
will not, can not be found that they
any W here, under any circumstances,
protect personal liberty where its ex
ercise is crime or oifends Injurious
" The interest of society.
They only protect those great ard